This beautiful bird has been hanging out at my house the past few weeks. He’s super skiddish and I had to take this hiding thru my window. My cat’s always spot him first. I see them freeze while looking up, then I see him. He sweeps his head side to side to look at us. But if I move too fast to get my camera he spooks and flies away.
It took quite a lot of discussion with my birding friends to figure out what he is. He has been identified as a Red Tail Hawk.
He is gorgeous!
Quite a beauty.
Actually, it is a Red-tailed Hawk. It does not have the more slender body, longer tail and owl-like facial discs that a Northern Harrier would show. It is a fairly dark Red-tailed Hawk. Often they do not actually show red in their tails. It has a heavier bill than a harrier, and shows the prominent “belly band” of a Red-tailed.
Thanks Gary! THat’s what I was thinking originally (I’ve never seen a harrier before…but birding friends were saying it was too small for a red tail. Always appreciate your feedback…